Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 could get a weird name change to fight iPhone Fold – and it’s a terrible idea
If you were planning on picking up a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 later this year, you might want to be doubly sure you’re purchasing the correct model. According to a new leak, Samsung may be changing how it names its foldables this year, thanks to the release of what we’ve been referring to as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Wide.
According to Ice Universe, the wider-screen Galaxy foldable is going to be called the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Meanwhile, what should have been the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and the successor to the Z Fold 7, is allegedly being called the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. Not only is that going to be somewhat confusing, but the name change could also have some serious ramifications for both devices (and their price tags).
And I have a sneaking suspicion that the impending release of iPhone Fold may be at least partly responsible.
Galaxy foldables are finally getting proper competition
This year is going to be huge for the foldable phone market, and it’s arguably going to be the biggest year for the segment since the launch of the original Galaxy Fold back in 2019. And it’s all because Apple is expected to release the first foldable iPhone, which is called either the iPhone Fold or iPhone Ultra, depending on who you ask.
The only real competition Samsung has had outside China for foldables comes from Google and Motorola, and the stats show that neither of them is selling enough foldables to usurp its position as the maker of the best foldable phones. But considering how successful the iPhone has been, the iPhone Fold is likely to be the first widely available foldable that could cause serious issues for Galaxy Fold sales.
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 wasn’t quite as iterative as some of its predecessors, notably the Galaxy Z Fold 6, and did come with some much-needed hardware upgrades. The 200MP camera finally made an appearance, and the 4MP under-display camera was removed in favor of a far more capable 10MP hole-punch. The Z Fold 8, or Fold 8 Ultra as it may be called, is said to be upping the ante again with a larger battery and faster charging — two things Samsung’s foldables sorely need.
But are these upgrades going to be enough to properly compete with an Apple foldable? That’s unclear, but some of the leaks and rumors point towards the fact that Samsung does have concerns Apple may beat it at its own game.
The fact that the Galaxy Z Fold Wide even exists is indicative of that. Various leaks have made it clear that Apple is opting for a wider passport-shaped design with the iPhone Fold, compared to the taller and narrower Z Fold design we’ve seen until now. The similarities the Z Fold Wide’s design has with the iPhone Fold can’t be ignored, and just like the release of the TriFold, it feels Samsung is finally coming around to the idea that different designs may be better.
Plus, it can’t be a coincidence that Samsung might rename the Z Fold 8 as Z Fold 8 Ultra. Even though Samsung has been using Ultra branding on the Galaxy S series for over six years, the sudden decision to add it to a foldable right before Apple does something similar seems fishy.
This wouldn’t let the Z Fold Wide stand on its own merit
Of course, changing the naming convention like this has its own problems. Notably, you’re suddenly attaching a premium name to what was, technically, the standard model. It has me concerned that Samsung may be about to increase the price of the Z Fold 8, under the guise of it being an Ultra device that requires an Ultra price tag.
A price hike was inevitable at some point in the near future, mostly thanks to RAMageddon and the increasing cost of actually building phones. But a price hike that ties into a name change would be a very cynical way to do it.
I could get on board if the Z Fold 8 were to end up with additional hardware worthy of the Ultra moniker. The return of the S Pen is a great example, and would help the foldable tie in with the Galaxy S-series’ Ultra phones. But if it’s another incremental upgrade, it’s a name change for the sake of a name change. I didn’t like the idea of the Galaxy S26 potentially being renamed Galaxy S26 Pro, and I don’t like the fact that the Z Fold 8 could have the Ultra label slapped on just because.
As for the Z Fold Wide, a rebrand would effectively make the phone look like the sequel to the Z Fold 7 — rather than letting it stand alone as its own phone — as was the case with the Galaxy Z TriFold that was released late last year. We don’t know a lot about the phone, thanks to limited rumors, but what I have heard has me feeling very ambivalent about the phone in question.
Various design leaks have shown that the Wide should only have two rear cameras. That seems to be happening a lot with new phone designs, like the Galaxy S25 Edge, and it’s going to make the Wide look less appealing compared to its predecessors. Likewise, an apparent drop from a 200MP main camera to the rumored 50MP lens is not going to be a good look. Even if the second lens is also 50MP, and a noticeable upgrade from 12MP.
If I were Samsung, I’d be releasing the Z Fold Wide as its own phone, separate from the Z Fold 8. Much like the Z Fold Special Edition or the Galaxy Z TriFold, this would be an experiment to gauge the popularity and functionality of a passport-style foldable.
If successful, the lessons learned could be applied to future foldables — just as the Z Fold SE was effectively a prototype version of the Z Fold 7. If it’s a failure, then lessons learned; Samsung hasn’t launched what was supposed to be a new annual release only to find nobody wants it. That’s a lesson it likely learned from the Galaxy S25 Edge; the Galaxy S26 Edge hasn’t appeared yet for a reason.
Samsung needs to get it together
Rumors are rumors, and there’s no guarantee that Samsung really will mix up the names of its upcoming foldables. Don’t forget that rumors claimed the Galaxy S26 would be called the Galaxy S26 Pro, in a weird attempt to boost sales, but that didn’t happen. The same could still be true of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the Z Fold Wide, and we won’t know for sure until Galaxy Unpacked in July.
Then again, the rumored name changes certainly don’t feel like a coincidence, considering the iPhone Fold is coming. Apple arguably poses the biggest threat to Samsung’s foldable dominance, and it’s going to be pulling out all the stops to try and keep the Galaxy Z Fold series in the top spot. Even if that means mimicking the iPhone Fold’s design, and opting for some marketing trickery in the process.
But that feels like a big mistake on Samsung’s part. I relish the idea of competition in the foldable phone space, but it should mean phone makers are pushing to make their devices the best they can be. Samsung has spent a lot of time letting its foldable phones stagnate, especially with the Z Flip series, and I’m hoping the iPhone Fold will be the kick in the pants it needs to actually try innovating and improving future models more than it has so far.
Just as long as it doesn’t try to trick people into thinking its phones are something that they’re not.
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